"twist me a crown of wind-flowers, that I may fly away!" ~ Christina Rossetti

Thursday, March 19, 2009

dogs of occupation

Also fallen prey to occupation: a breed of dogs. Pariah dog from northern coastal Palestine, from The Book of the Dog, edited by Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1948. The Pariah dog, indigenous to the land of Canaan, was seen as needing "developing", that is, it was bred for military purposes necessary for settlement of Jews into Palestine. The 'new and improved' Canaan dog was a breed developed by Dr. Rudolphina Menzel.

"This was the situation of the native Pariah Dog until the arrival of Dr. Rudolphina Menzel who was asked by the Haganah [proto-Israeli armed forces] to develop a dog for guarding the isolated Israeli settlements and supervise the build-up of war dogs for the fighting of the War of Independence. Remembering the Pariah Dog living in the desert, she knew only the fittest would have survived the hardships of their native land. She captured specific Pariah Dog stock from which she developed the Canaan Dog breed. As a breed the Canaan Dog proved highly intelligent and easily trainable, serving as sentry dogs, messengers, Red Cross helpers and land mine locators. During World War II, Dr. Menzel recruited and trained over 400 of the best dogs for the Middle East Forces as land mine detectors, and they proved superior to the mechanical detectors."[this site, however, problematically reduces the history of the Pariah dog to Israelites, yet the contradiction is evident with the reference to the spotted dog of the Beni-Hassan tombs]

Paramilitary forces, such as the Haganah, as well as mercenaries and private militias have, in the past, been seen as renegade forces; however, since the invasion and occupation of Iraq, it is now common for Western nations such as the US to use these services. Same dirty business; only the name has changed. Now, these private military groups, which are multiple in purpose and focus, are euphemistically referred to as "private security."

For example, you can sign up for classes led by former US military interrogators and learn "techniques of extracting information", that is, learn to become an interrogator and torturer. Don't let the closing of Gitmo dissuade you--there will be plenty of jobs in prisons in Afghanistan! Just sign up at Team Delta school for your workshop on interrogation!

Also, Obama has not rescinded 'rendition', so does this mean that 'the black sites of disappearance' won't disappear? "This secret system included prisons on military bases around the world, from Thailand and Afghanistan to Morocco, Poland, and Romania-"at various times," reportedly, "sites in eight countries"-into which, at one time or another, more than one hundred prisoners...disappeared.[3] The secret internment network of "black sites" had its own air force and its own distinctive "transfer procedures..."

Israel, like its partner in crimes, the US, also uses private military and security companies to control, oppress and harass Palestinians.

The Coalition of Women for Peace, which consists of numerous Israeli women's peace and feminist organizations, explains:

"One of the fastest growing industries in Israel is that of private security. In recent years, many military responsibilities were handed over to civilian companies. Private security firms guard settlements and construction sites in the occupied territories; some are also in charge of the day-to-day operation, security and maintenance of some of the checkpoints."

I found out about Israel's use of private security/military companies in an article from the Monthly Review which was written by the Coalition of Women for Peace to announce their new database: "Who Profits from the Israeli Occupation? Announcing a New Online Database: WhoProfits.org .

"Now, more then ever, Israeli activists need a powerful global movement to help us build a just peace in Israel/Palestine. Looking for effective tools for ending the occupation, we have launched a new website WhoProfits.org listing companies directly involved in the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. The grassroots initiative, of the Israeli Coalition of Women for Peace, includes a database and an information center and reflects an ongoing two-year effort, rigorous research, documentation, and site visits.

This unprecedented online resource already lists about 200 companies, and hundreds more will be added during 2009, offering an extensive and intricate mapping of the corporate aspects of and interests in the continued occupation. The website offers a new useful categorization of all corporate interests in the occupation and exposes specific examples of direct involvement of many international and Israeli companies for the first time. In tracing ownership links, it shows in detail how some of Israel's largest corporations are tied in with the occupation."

One of the many companies that the Israeli women list on Who Profits? from the occupation industry is K-9 Solutions. Part of the "military, security and surveillance training and services" that K-9 Solutions offer for sale, is training and providing dogs to enable the occupation and the suppression of Palestinian human rights:

I posted earlier that Israelis are concerned about their dogs' mental health and provide government assistance for dogs traumatized by Hamas rockets, so, I thought, hmmm. Is there not also an outcry for these K-9 dogs who are brainwashed into militarism?

"There are many dogs serving in Israel's security forces, trained in order to protect her soldiers and civilians. Sadly many have been killed whilst carrying out their duties. Today is Israel's rememberence day, a day when Israel remembers her fallen soldiers and civillians killed by terrorism. It is also fitting to remember all those brave and heroic dogs who have fallen serving Israel."

"M., a Jabalya refugee camp resident, told Haaretz, "the army moves very slowly. The tanks approach houses, then they send the dogs. If it's a three-story home, they send three dogs: The dogs have a camera on one leg and a walkie-talkie on the other. That's how the dogs transmit what is in the house. Then the tanks advance up to the doorway by rolling over the fence, and the soldiers exit the tank."

And was there an outcry about the killing of 90 dogs owned by Palestinians in 1995?

"Israeli Patrols Kill 90 Dogs in Arab Town....While the town's mostly Palestinian residents were confined to their houses by the curfew, armed Israeli employees of the civil administration moved through the streets, hunting down and shooting dozens of dogs.

The balance of the quarter-page article [in the NY Times] quotes various sources on the reason for the shooting. Israelis claim that they were taking action against rabies. Palestinians claim that the dogs barked at night, alerting them to the movement of Israeli army patrols. Israel's Environmental Minister calls the shootings "unacceptable." Hebron's Palestinian health official points out that many of the dogs were pets and working shepherd dogs. A shepherd who lost a dog to the operation is asked by the reporter if he has filed a complaint. "To whom?" he asks. Meanwhile, the Israeli soldiers guarding a small Jewish settlement in mid-Hebron keep a dog of their own. Asked why she was spared, a soldier replies, "She's not dangerous."

Lake Superior

other blogs & websites

"I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind." ~ Emily Bronte

Tbay blogs & websites

Karhu. Rita Apuli

This is a Flickr badge showing public photos and videos from northshorewoman. Make your own badge here.

Beannacht / Blessing

On the day whenthe weight deadenson your shouldersand you stumble,may the clay danceto balance you.And when your eyesfreeze behindthe grey windowand the ghost of lossgets in to you,may a flock of colours,indigo, red, green,and azure bluecome to awaken in youa meadow of delight.~ John O'Donohue